Zigzag sewing machines



United States Patent Q ZIGZAG SEWING MACHINES Charles R. Odermann,Milford, Conn., as signor to The Singer Manufacturing Company,Elizabeth, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 14, 1955,Serial No. 515,443

7 Claims. (Cl. 112-458) This invention relates to sewing machines andmore particularly to improved means for biasing and resiliently stoppingthe swinging gate of a needle-jogging zigzag sewing machine, and one ofthe primary objects of the invention is to provide an improved device ofthis character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination springretainer and resilient bumper which will effectively bias the gate of azigzag sewing machine in one direction, and which will also'resilientlyterminate the movement of the gate in the other direction.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combinationspring retainer and resilient bumper that can easily be placed in orremoved from the head of a sewing machine.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawingsof a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which the severalfeatures of the invention and the advantages attained thereby will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be understood from the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational sectional view showing a portion of asewing machine embodying the present invention, and

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line2--2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustratedin Figs. 1 and 2, the sewing machine is shown to comprise a bed-plateproviding a work support from one end of which bed-plate rises a hollowstandard (not shown) of a bracket-arm 17 overhanging the bed-plate 15and terminating at its free end in an open-ended head 18. Thebracket-arm 17 is open at its upper portion, forming a substantiallytrough-shaped unit having a cover-plate 19 held in place by a pair ofscrews, of which one is shown at 20.

Rotatably journaled in suitable bearings provided in the bracket-arm 17is a horizontally dispose-d main-shaft 21 extending lengthwise of thebracket-arm 17. One end of the main-shaft 21 is driven by a means (notshown) whereas the other end of the main-shaft 21 carries acounterbalanced crank 23 provided with a crank-pin 24 connected by ajointed link 25 to a collar 26 suitably secured to a vertically disposedneedle-bar 27.

The needle-bar 27 carries at its lower end a needle 28 and is movableendwise in bearings provided in a vibratory or swinging gate 29. Thegate 29 is pivotally hung upon a horizontally disposed screw stud 30carried by a supporting member 31 adjustably threaded into the upperwall of the bracket-arm head 18 to provide for swinging movements of thegate 29 about a pivotal axis which is substantially transverse to theaxis of rotation of the main shaft 21. The open portion of the head 18,which houses ice the needle-bar 27 and the gate 29, is closed by afaceplate 32 supported and secured in place by screws 33 and 34.

Extending horizontally from the lower end of the needle-bar gate 29 isan arm 35 of which the free end portion extends externally of thebracket-arm head 18 and at that location carries a pivot-block 36.Embracing the pivot-block 36 is a forked end of a rock-arm 37 dependingfrom the front end of a short rock-shaft 38 disposed horizontallytransversely to the main-shaft 21 and journaled at the under side of thebracket-arm head 18. The rock shaft 38 is rocked by a means, which formsno part of the present invention, but which is fully disclosed in patentapplication Serial No. 386,684, filed October 19, 1953, now Patent No.2,756,703. Rocking of the shaft 38 swings the rock-arm 37 which in turnmoves the arm 35 in and out of the head 18 thereby swinging the gate 29and the needle-bar 27 in a known manner. The mechanism, shown anddescribed in the above referred to Patent No. 2,756,703, is such thatthe swing of the gate 29 in a clockwise direction (Fig. 1) about thestud 30 is definitely limited by engagement of a cam follower with acam. However, the mechanism shown in Patent No. 2,756,703 does notprovide a definite stop which limits the swing of the gate 29 in acounterclockwise direction.

The swinging gate 29 is biased toward one terminal of its swing by apair of compression springs, of which only one is shown, viz. helicalcompression spring 41. Spring 41 is housed in a cylindrical springretainer 42 one end of which is closed as at 43. The other end of thespring retainer 42 is open and provided with an annular flange 44. Anannular rubber-like resilient washer or bumper 46 is bonded or otherwisesecured to the outer surface of the flange 44.

The free end 48 of spring 41 extends beyond the face of the resilientwasher 46 and enters a small depression or recess 49 formed in the freeend 52 of the gate 29. When the rock-shaft 38 rocks counterclockwise asseen in Fig. 1 the rock-arm 37, pivot-block 36, and arm 35 function toswing the gate 29 counterclockwise to the position shown by dash-dashlines in Fig. 1. This compresses the spring 41 and causes the free end52 of the gate: 29 to engage the resilient washer 46 thereby cushioningthe final counterclockwise directional movement of the gate 29. Thespring retainer 42 is suitably held in a horizontally extending apertureor cylindrical hole 54 formed in a lower wall of the head 18, and theclosed end 43 of the retainer 42 protrudes beyond the outer surface ofthe head 18. Replacement of the spring 41 and the resilient tippedretainer 42 can easily be accomplished by removing the faceplate 32 andby swinging up the gate 29 which carries the needle-bar 27. Then thespring 41 can be removed from the retainer 42. Also by tapping orpressing on the exposed closed end 43 of the retainer 42, the retainer42 can conveniently be removed from the hole 54.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis:

1. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, aswinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle bar supportedby said gate, means for swinging said gate, spring means for biasingsaid gate in one direction of its swing to its extreme position, andresilient bumper means encircling said spring means and adapted to beengaged by said gate adjacent to its other extreme position of itsmovement, said bumper means being designed for cushioning the finalmovement of said gate in the other of its directions of swing, the saidbumper means projecting beyond the inside surface of the head a lesserdistance than the spring means projects in its extended position.

2. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, aswinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle-bar supportedby said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means forbiasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioningthe final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, saidcombination means comprising a retainer having one end inside of saidhead and having the other end external thereof, a compression springhoused in said retainer, and a resilient member secured to the insideend of said retainer.

3. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, aswinging gate housed in said head, and the free end of said gate havinga depression, a reciprocatory needle-bar supported by said gate, meansfor swinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gatetoward one direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movementof said gate in its other direction of swing, said combination meanscomprising a tubular retainer hav ing one end inside of said head, aresilient member secured to the inside end of said retainer, and acompression spring housed in said retainer and having an end extendinginside of said head beyond said resilient member and entering thedepression in the free end of said gate.

4. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head, aswinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatory needle-bar supportedby said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combination means forbiasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and for cushioningthe final movement of said gate in its other direction of swing, saidcombination means comprising a tubular retainer, a flange on the openend of said retainer, a resilient Washer secured to the outer face ofsaid flange,

and a compression spring housed in said retainer and having an endextending beyond the outer face of said resilient washer, and the freeend of said spring engaging said gate.

5. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket'arm provided with a head havingan aperture, a swinging gate housed in said head, a reciprocatoryneedle-bar supported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, andcombination means for biasing said gate toward one direction of itsswing and for cushioning the final movement of said gate in its otherdirection of swing, said combination means comprising a tubular retainerplaced in said aperture in said head and one end of said retainerextending inwardly beyond the inner surface of said head, a resilientmember secured to the inner end of said retainer and a compressionspring housed in said r'etainer and extending inside of said head andbeyond said resilient member and having a free end engaging said gate.

6. In a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with a head havingan aperture, a swinging gate housed in said head, and said gate having adepression, a reciprocatory needlebar supported by said gate, means forswinging said gate, and combination means for biasing said gate towardone direction of its swing and for cushioning the final movement of saidgate in its other direction of swing, said combination means comprisinga tubular reone end and placed in the said aperture in said head and theclosed end of said retainer protruding beyond the outer surface of saidhead, a flange on the open end of said retainer, a resilient washersecured to the outer face of said flange, and a helical compressionhoused in said retainer and having a free end extending beyond the outerface of said resilient washer, and the free end of said spring enteringthe depression in said, gate.

7. in a zigzag sewing machine, a bracket-arm provided with an open-endedhead having a horizontally extending aperture, a face-plate closing theopen end of said head, a swinging gate housed in said head, and the freeend of said gate having a small depression, a reciprocatory needle-barsupported by said gate, means for swinging said gate, and combinationmeans for biasing said gate toward one direction of its swing and forcushioning the final movement of said gate in its other direction ofswing, said combination means comprising a cylindrical tubular retainerclosed at one end and placed in the said horizontally extending aperturein said head and the closed end of said retainer protruding beyond theouter surface of said head, an annular flange on the open end of saidretainer, an annular resilient washer secured to the outer face of saidflange, and a helical compression spring housed in said retainer andhaving a free end extending beyond the outer face of said resilientwasher, and the free end of said spring entering the small depression inthe free end of said gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,388,360 Merritt Aug. 23, 1921 2,644,413 Sauer July 7, 1953 2,667,133Court Jan. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 681,873 France Feb. 4, 1930

